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 Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:07 pm
"...shaffit."
The rain was coming down harder now. K'em was soaked through, shielding his eyes with a hand as he looked around the tropical forest for some form of shelter. Tropical trees did not offer much in the defending a pair of dragons and their riders against the whipping wind and the rain. K'em pushed brown hair away from his eyes and looked around again. Nothing. There was nothing, and they were stranded.
"W'ten!" he called, his dragon blocking his view.
Faroth rumbled softly, eying his rider as he shuffled his wings. He was wet, he was incredibly wet, and he was very, very unhappy. He had to be dragged out on this 'joy ride' and, to be brutally honest, there was nothing joyful about being caught in the open seas during a storm. The brown opted to say nothing, however. It was blaringly obvious, to him, at the very least, that K'em was also distressed and growing increasingly unhappy with the situation.
And there was guilt. That was strange.
"W'ten, we need to find somewhere safe for our dragons!"
Because that wasn't obvious, or anything.
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:15 pm
Kaieth was, to say the least, just a little bit unhappy. He was wet and getting colder by the minute, not to mention there were winds blowing so fast that he couldn't even get off the ground to jump between. But of course, ever the optimist, he tried to convey to his rider that things could be worse. It could be thundering! Or there could even by lightning! That would be much more unpleasant than it was then.
Or they could be stranded with K'em, would have been W'ten's reply, however he was more interested in scanning around them for a safe shelter. His brown had kindly outstretched the end of his wing to shelter his rider, however it was doing him little good. With the direction the wind was blowing, he was getting soaked no matter where he stood. Still, there had to be somewhere for them to go to get out of this rain. He did not wish for Kaieth to get any colder.
He was forced to look away when his name was called, turning him the direction of his roommate. W'ten resisted the urge to inform K'em that he did not, under any circumstance, need to tell him the logical thing to do. Instead, he said "Affirmative! I believe an outcropping of rock will do. Can you see anything of that nature?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:47 pm
K'em muttered to himself and rolled his eyes. W'ten was upset with him, he could practically feel it, even with his beast of a dragon between them. So much for trying to keep the chatter up and the moods light. "No. All I can see is these sharding trees!" And what in Faranth's name were these trees good for, the brownrider wanted to know. Certainly not for shelter! Why would any ever even want to live here, no wonder they banished him to this bloody awful scrap of land, it was-
If you are quite done, Mine. I believe I see something in the distance.
Really? Where? I don't-
If you could cease speaking and look, K'emMine. Towards the horizon, to our right, just a bit.
K'em grunted, squinting as he tried to make out the shape the deep brown dragon was referring to. Well, look at that. Faroth seemed to be correct. Winding his way through the wet leaves and his dragon's legs, K'em maneuvered himself until he was at W'ten's side. "Faroth sees something out that way." The wingsecond motioned to the nondescript object on the horizon. "You want to head that way? We should at least be in accord in which direction to head, right?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 7:40 pm
Of course W'ten was upset with him. What normal person wouldn't be? Kaieth wants to go out on a pleasure flight, so does K'em, and so W'ten and Faroth are dragged along with them. Not only did he not want to be here in the first place, he was not stuck here for an indeterminate amount of time when he should be back in his weyr doing productive things. But no, his plans for today were ruined because of K'em. So yes, upset would have been a very good word to describe his current feelings.
Feelings, however, were irrelevant now, as they would not help him find shelter. The brownrider cocked an eyebrow at K'em's response, taking a small measure of pride in the fact that he had not sounded so obviously upset by it all. He was, however, quite right, as there was nothing around but trees. How unfortunate. W'ten was just about to ask Kaieth to lower his knee for him when K'em made his way over to speak with him. Faroth had seen something in the distance?
"It is currently our only lead, so it is logical that we pursue it unless something better comes up." W'ten ran his fingers through his damp hair to remove dark strands from his eyes. "Tell Faroth to lead the way. Kaieth and I will follow."
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:12 pm
A small portion of K'em's brain requested him to throw up his hands and apologize to his roommate, but fortunately, he still had logic in control. And by logic, we mean his incredibly stubborn sense of pride which insisted there was absolutely no reason to ask forgiveness. Neither of them had any idea about the squall; K'em was not enjoying this outing anymore than W'ten was. He was wet and he was cold. Faroth was cold and the brown was absolutely bristling at him.
Enough chatter, Mine. Kaieth's does not wish to listen to your words anymore than I-
Shut up, Faroth. You're such a wher when you're cold, shards.
The brunette gave the dragon an affectionate slap on the shoulder and started off towards the dark shape in the distance. The leaves were wet, his clothes were wet, his hair was sticking to his face. He was...K'em was not happy. Nevertheless, he said nothing and kept plodding forward. Well, at least until the ground when out from underneath him.
The brownrider would never admit to the yelp that escaped him when he went sprawling into a small sinkhole.
It was perhaps only half his height, but he had landed in a most uncomfortable position. Cringing, K'em tried to struggle back to his feet.
...now would be a most unappealing time to injure yourself, Mine.
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:34 pm
It was times like this when W'ten was glad to be bonded to Kaieth and not Faroth. The other brown looked even less pleased that he was to be out here, and was probably saying all kinds of rude things to his rider about their current predicament. Kaieth had the sense to be quiet (or at least keep his optimistic comments to a minimum) and follow his lead.
Despite being cold, wet, and borderline miserable, W'ten still tilted his chin proudly and strode after the wingsecond. Branches were pushed aside casually whenever they got in his way, and he even had the decently to hold them aside until Kaieth was far enough through that they didn't thwack him. Kaieth commented idly that he could just chew off the branches and clear them a path, but W'ten declined the offer. He did not want to deal with his brown having a stomach ache on top of all their current problems.
He was distracted when K'em suddenly went down, or rather, when he heard the yelp that indicated K'em had gone down. A small frown formed on his face as he pushed aside a low lying branch to survey the situation. Sinkholes. How unpleasant. "Are you uninjured, K'em?" W'ten reached down to grab the other brownrider underneath his armpit and haul him up. "Apparently the footing here is not ideal. We should move more cautiously."
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:44 pm
"..." K'em simply accepted his roommate's assistance as he was dragged to his feet; this in and of itself should have been a big enough hint that the rider was not ship shape. He said nothing still as he tested out his limbs, almost everything seemed to be in working order. Almost. His left ankle didn't seem to be particularly pleased with the idea of bearing weight. Shaffit. "No," he finally said, careful to keep his voice quite neutral. "I appeared to have...damaged myself in that fall."
That was embarassing.
"I can keep walking, though. Faroth and Kaieth need to get out of the rain." Lame or not, he wouldn't give himself a choice. Finally pulling away from W'ten, K'em started forward again. The brownrider was very clearly favoring the injured limb; Faroth was not impressed, but he said nothing. His was not complaining about the pain, nor was he faltering. There was very little to complain about, at this moment in time.
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:17 pm
For a moment W'ten's frown deepened as he studied his companion. For every time he had helped K'em with something that the brownrider had not asked him to, there was generally a 95.3% chance that K'em would blow off that help in favour of doing it on his own. The odds increased by 1.66 % whenever that event was something that involved his pride. It was odd, therefore, that K'em accepted behind hauled to his feet and did not shake him off with words like "I'm okay" or "I got this." Perhaps he had hit his head on the way down.
His eyebrows rose when K'em nearly confirmed his suspicion, but was forced to change his hypothesis on the basis of his roommate's movements. Faroth's rider was not even bothering to conceal his limp, which meant that it really was hurting him. How unfortunate. W'ten followed him silently, frowning again as he weighed his options. He knew that K'em would like it much more if he took the brownrider for his word and let him walk to their destination. The distance, however, was unknown, and if he continued to walk on it Cordel would be most displeased with the two of them when they returned. W'ten cared little about the Healer's opinion of him but he knew there was a 97.78% chance that Cordel would demand a physical when they return. He did not want to be subjected to any more of the Healer's surges of emotional dialogue then he needed to.
On the other hand, if he offered to carry K'em the brownrider would surely decline his offer on the basis of pride and limp faster, which left them back at square one. If he accepted – W'ten was working on the odds – it might relieve him of a little over half of a Cordel lecture. Perhaps it was worth a shot. "K'em, it would be detrimental to your health if you continue to put weight on an injured joint. If you would instead point me in the correct direction I will endeavour to carry you runner-back style to our place of refuge." Only someone like W'ten could deliver such a offer with a completely straight face.
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Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:45 pm
"...what?"
K'em wished he had the presence of mind to turn that into something completely raunchy. What a waste of a perfectly good awkward moment. It only grew more strained as the silence dragged on, punctuated only by the rain hitting the useless leaves as he stared forward and considered. On the one hand, his pride would be severely injured, but on the other hand...he trusted his fellow brownrider to keep this incident between the two of them.
"...very well. If you're really sure you want to," the wingsecond finally complied, halting as he turned to face W'ten (finally). He attempted to push messy brown hair away from his eyes and could not help the sigh. K'em had to fight back a million arguments as he waited to be lifted; his pride would be wounded for days.
...well, nothing a good lay couldn't fix, K'em thought, if not with a bit of disdain.
He never really got what he wanted, did he?
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Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:40 pm
The brownrider did not even deign to reply K'em, simply waiting for his roommate to pull his brain cells together and use them effectively. Sometimes it took longer than usual, but that was to be expected. Wheels could not turn effectively when they had been idle for long periods of time. K'em needed to apply even more brain power in this problem than normal as he ultimately had to decide whether his pride was worth injuring himself further. W'ten estimated that it would take him approximately 10.6% of a candlemark.
He was quietly pleased when K'em accepted his offer, and rewarded the brownrider's humility with a small dip of his head. W'ten didn't even point out the obvious that if he hadn't "wanted" to he wouldn't have asked. Instead, he crouched down low enough for K'em to get onto his back and swiftly settled him there. "We were heading in what I believe to be the south east direction, am I correct?" He could barely see anything but this was the way K'em had started. W'ten made sure to avoid any further pot holes as they journeyed on.
"You will inform me if this position becomes uncomfortable for you."
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Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:21 pm
Dirty thoughts dirty thoughts dirty thoughts.
Mine, if you do not cease thinking about Kaieth's in such a...a...a compromised position, I will inform him immediately and you can walk all the way home!
K'em rolled his eyes.
A little fantasy never killed anyone, spoil sport.
But he did as Faroth asked, not wishing to make the brown nor his fellow brownrider uncomfortable. He shifted slightly (like hell he'd actually admit if it was getting painful, or something) and helpfully wrapped his arms W'ten's neck in a loose loop. His head tucked on his roommate's shoulder, he nodded to himself as they began the long trek towards the horizon rock...that never seemed to be getting any closer.
"Do you think it's a mirage, or something? Maybe we're just dreaming."
Mine, did I not just finish requesting you stop thinking about Kaieth's like that?
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Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:38 pm
W'ten was happily oblivious to K'em's thoughts, as it should be. Not to mention it wasn't logical to view an act of humility and generosity in such an erotic light. The brownrider was only doing what he thought was the best thing for their current predicament. If he had intended to try and appeal to K'em's apparently limitless sexuality he would have been much more direct.
He allowed the shift in position, seemingly unbothered by it. K'em was not light by any stretch of the imagination, but being shorter made him easier to carry. He was also being remarkably still, which was making the journey much easier on his mount. At the question he lifted his shoulders in a brief shrug. "The odds are in our favour. Faroth or Kaieth would have told us if we saw something that was not there. I do not believe dragons are susceptible to mirages."
Kaieth raised his head suddenly, green eyes whirling as he attempt to see as far as he could into the distance. "Ah, I see what Faroth meant. We must move quicker, though. I do not wish for Faroth to be grumpy when we reach our destination. Follow me please."
W'ten stopped to allow Kaieth to pass them by, watching his stout dragon move with his usual sure-footedness through the trees. Having the brown go first had another benefit that he had not thought of earlier. They now had a path to follow. However there were also many large foot prints in the mud, which proved to be somewhat difficult to navigate. W'ten did not let up on this difficulty, however, and continued on as if there had been no change in their course.
"Tell to me the contents of your saddlebags, if you please. We should reach the outcropping of rock soon enough and I wish to be prepared when we get there. I would like to compare our inventories while we walk so as not to waste time."
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Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 6:12 pm
W'ten shifted his arms minutely to better support the snuggling K'em, believing that he was changing position in an attempt to get more comfortable. Though he remembered telling the other brownrider to tell him if he was uncomfortable – which would be the logical thing to do given that situation – he knew that K'em did many illogical things whenever he felt like he had to lose face for it. Thus, he was probably suffering in silence right now and trying to get as comfortable as possible without alerting W'ten. The brownrider decided to humour him.
"It is illogical to hate rain," he replied idly to K'em's words as he trekked on through the muck. "Rain is essential to the majority of the vegetative life on this island. It also raises the level of the sea, which ensures the correct amount of water is being moved by the tides, which is necessary for the fishers, and so on and so forth. Not to mention is it not beneficial to hate something that you cannot change with your hate, since the rain will not stop simply because you hate it." Trust K'em to make illogical comments about the rain instead of just accepting what is. They were wet anyways at this point, and it was possible that they couldn't get "any wetter" as the saying went. W'ten was inclined to believe that statement. He wasn't sure his leathers would ever dry.
"There will be more leathers, mine, do not fret over them. It is easier to replace leathers than it is to replace Faroth's, right?" Kaieth's eyes were still tinged with green despite how uncomfortable he was. W'ten was right about complaining, however he did not need to give Faroth's such a lecture about it. Faroth and his rider looked miserable enough as it was. Poor things.
The brownrider gave a small, inward sigh as his dragon's words, but said nothing. Kaieth's argument was entirely sound, so he had nothing to say to refute it. W'ten was mildly surprised at the words mumbled into his back, and would have asked K'em to repeat them to insure the accuracy has Kaieth not prodded him mentally. Apparently asking K'em to repeat an apology was bad form. Instead, W'ten settled for, "You are not being conducive to my efforts to mentally organize our inventories. Do you have specific reason to avoid answering my question?"
"There it is! Ooh that rock looks perfect!" The brown sped up, tucking his wings close to his body as he trotted under the outcropping of rock that Faroth had spotted. "It is very nice and dry Mine. Come quickly!"
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Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 7:53 pm
The wind picked up and K'em shuddered as he bit back the urge to huddle closer against W'ten. While he did not usually consult the rational part of his brain, it was currently making itself quite clear. He was close enough. The line between friend and flirt was being toed and said line was not impressed with the young man's pathetic attempts at such. It then proceeded to remind him of Cordel and how well that worked out of him.
That certainly sobered K'em right up.
Removing his face from W'ten's neck, he sighed softly, slightly taken off guard by the sudden change in topic. "Uh? Just a wine skin, I think. I planned on being home for dinner," he said, grumbling a little to himself. He usually tried to make his load light for Faroth's sake...not that the marbled brown needed such treatment, but K'em liked to think the dragon appreciated the thought. "I don't think the wine skin will help much." A pause. "Well. Actually. I could use a good drink right about now," the wingsecond admitted, shuddering again as he abandon logic and huddled against his friend. He was cold and wet and screw boundaries! They could wait. He wasn't willing to freeze to death.
You are being dramatic.
K'em didn't deign Faroth's scolding worth a response and remained latched to W'ten as Kaieth merrily made his way to the real-and-not-imagined rock pile. Ahh. At least it would be drier here. Though he wasn't sure how much it mattered; they were already soaked down to the bone.
"...how are we gonna warm up, W'ten?"
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